what we're hoping for...

http://antpub.wordpress.com/2010/11/04/sorry-i-dont-speak-anthropologist/

Summit for Equal Education

Last week I participated in the Equal Education Summit for quality education which was held at UCT for three days. Teachers, Learners, NGO representatives and others interested in South Africa's education gathered to discuss the current state of education in the country. Most of the learners and teachers were from previously disadvantaged schools and spoke out about the enormous inequalities that continue to seep into every aspect of their education. Absenteeism, lack of basic resources,inadequate teaching, extremely high failure rates, lack of parental interest were some of the issues that were spoken about. The three day long summit was an important space for talking about these issues and encouraging people to join in on a potentially powerful social movement towards quality education for all South Africans. It was agreed upon that deep and persistent inequalities and inadequacies in South African education were not visible enough and it was about time that it became a visible and vocal social movement, that would equal that of country wide health campaigns such the fight against HIV/AIDS. I became aware of how much opportunity these deep seated and systemic issues hold for important and urgent anthropological research. Much of the data presented at the conference was statistically based but the small group discussions where learners, teachers, principles and other interested stakeholders were encouraged to speak about their education experience opened up interesting avenues for ethnographic research. One of the biggest concerns in many of these discussions, was getting learners to see value in their education, to see it as a road to a life beyond the one in which they were living. The learners who were there spoke about how the label 'previously disadvantaged' although which often (if they were provided with adequate information) carried financial currency with it, was demeaning and debilitating. The teachers spoke about how the students were their own enemies (in a kind of black consciousness rhetoric) and that it was time to take action into their own hands and find a new approach to their lives, without living in the shadow of apartheid. New models for education were also discussed, which acknowledged the need for South African's to move past the idealised, yet ideologically outdated vision of the Model C school. The Eastern Cape, is currently facing some  of the biggest issues in the education system and there was a call for researchers to investigate learners attitudes to their schools and find out what could be done beyond a purely economic approach, to encourage learners to be interested in their education and to foster a 'reading culture'. There was also a call for people interested in and trained in documentary film making to help publicize EEs campaign and document school going narratives... Any willing anthropologists?

For more details:
http://www.capetimes.co.za/glaring-inequality-in-city-schools-1.1089207

http://www.equaleducation.org.za/